Albert s



S. FILSON. VIOLIN ATTACHMENT.

- (No Model.)

No. 578,396. Patented Mar. 9, 1897 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT S. FILSON, OF IVINSTON, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO SAMUELA. IVHITE, OE SAME PLACE.

VIOLIN ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,396, dated March 9,1897.

Application filed July 13, 1896- Serial No. 598,920. (N0 model.)

To (tZZ whont if; 777/66]; concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. FILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVinston, in the county of Jefferson and State of Montana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violin Attachments;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is a well-known fact that the E strings of violins are made in fourstring-lengths and that when they are attached to the violin they aregenerally cut into a length slightly longer than the distance betweenthe tailpiece and the tuning-key, being secured to the former by meansof a knot passed through a slot therein and to the latter by being woundthereon. It is also well known that the breakage of violin-stringsgenerally takes place near their upper ends at points near the tuning-keys. \Vhen this happens, it necessitates the entire renewal of thestring, causing a waste of the greater part thereof and the loss of muchtime to re-form the knot and reinsert the string. Myinvention isdesigned to overcome this difficulty, to provide a ready means ofattaching the string, and also to effect the saving of a large part ofthe string.

The invention consists in providing an attachment for the tailpiece of aviolin, which is adapted to fit the different sizes of tailpieces; andit consists of a base-plate having arms or extensions thereon adapted toembrace said tailpiece, for securing the attachment thereto, a post orspindle rising centrally from said base-piece, having a laterallyslidingpin in its outer end, and a reel or drum mounted to rotate on said postor spindle, having recesses therein adapted to be engaged by saidstop-pin.

The invention also consists in other details of construction andcombinations of parts, which willbe hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 representsa perspective view showing my attachment applied to a violin. Fig.2isalongitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspectiveview showing the different parts of the attachment.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

The tailpiece 1 is of the usual form of construction and is adapted toreceive the reel attachment 2, which is made up of a basepiece 3, havingarms 4 4 thereon, which are adapted to embrace said tailpiece andconstitute a clip, the forward edges thereof engaging the enlargedportion of said tailpiece. Rising centrally from the base-piece 3 is apost or spindle 5, having a peripheral groove 6 therein, and upon saidpost is mounted a drum or reel 7, having flanges 8 8 thereon and a pin9, which projects through said drum and engages the peripheral groove 6in said post or spindle, thereby preventing the detachment of the reelfrom said spindle. The upper flange S of the reel 7 has a milled edge,by means of which a grip may be obtained thereon for the purpose ofturning said reel. The upper surface of the reel 7, adjacent to the edgeof the opening therethrough, has a series of radially disposed recesses1O 10, which are adapted to be engaged by a stoppin 11, slidinglymounted in a dovetailed groove 12 in the upper end of the post orspindle 5, having a handle 13 thereon for the purpose of operating thesame.

In using my device the same is applied to the tailpiece 1 by insertingthe arms l around the narrow portion of said tailpiece, allowing it tobe drawn forward until the forward edges of said arms engage theenlarged portion of said tailpiece, and one end of the E string isattached to the drum or reel 7. The said string is then wound upon thereel until just enough of the string projects to reach from the reel tothe tuning-key upon the neck of the instrument, the said string passingthrough and around one of the slots at the forward end of the tailpiece.Vhen the proper length of string is obtained, the stop pin 11 is thrownoutwardly into engagement with one of the recesses 10 in the uppersurface of the reel 7. The string is then tightened and tuned in theusual manner. Should 2 srasoe the string break from any cause the endattached to the tuning-key is detached and thrown away, and the stop-pin11 is released from engagement with the recess 10. The drum or reel 7 isthen allowed to unwind until a sufficient length of string extendstherefrom to reach up to the tuning-key, and said stop-pin is replaced.This can be done in a moments time, does not necessitate the detachmentof the string from both ends and the forming of a knot in the rear endof the string, and, furthermore, saves so much of the length of thestring as extends from the point of the break to the reel. A saving oftime as well as material is therefore effected, besides adding to theconvenience of applying the string.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the tailpiece of a stringed musical instrument,of a reel attachment therefor consisting of a baseplate having arms orextensions thereon adapted to embrace said tailpiece for securing saidat tachment thereto, a post or spindle rising centrally from saidbase-plate, having a laterallysliding pin in its outer end, a reel ordrum mounted to rotate on said post or spindle, having recesses thereinadapted to be engaged by said stop-pin, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. The combination with the tailpiece of a stringed musical instrument,of a reel attachment therefor consisting of a base-plate having arms orextensions thereon adapted to embrace said tailpiece for the purpose ofsecuring said attachment thereto, a post or spindle rising centrallyfrom said base-plate having a peripheral groove thereon and a dovetailedgroove in its outer end, a reel or drum mounted to rotate on said postor spindle having radially-disposed recesses in its upper surfaceadjacent to the opening through said reel, a pin projecting through saidreel and engaging the peripheral groove in said post or spindle and astop-pin mounted to slide in the dovetailed groove in the upper end ofsaid post or spindle and adapted to fit within the recesses in the topsurface of said reel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT S. FILSON'.

Vitnesses:

II. E. JOHNSON, JOHN CAUGHLIN.

